Kentucky will play its first Thursday night game ever at home Oct. 15 against Auburn and its head coach is looking forward to it.

"It will be a real challenge," Stoops said. "I haven't had the chance opportunity to play Auburn since I've been in the league. It will be a great challenge for us."

Stoops acknowledged Auburn, a SEC favorite, now having Will Muschamp as its defensive coordinator, Gus Malzahn's uptempo, spread offense and the recruits the Tigers have. However, Kentucky will have a chance to show on ESPN it can compete with the SEC's best in football.

"We'll have our hands full, but I am excited about it," Stoops later said. "We'll be excited. That's down the road, but I have looked at it. We're worried about tomorrow, but that will be a fun opportunity."

The Kentucky players at SEC Media Days followed Stoops' lead of not looking ahead to Auburn.

"Honestly, we're just looking forward to playing Louisiana Lafayette," said senior nose guard Melvin Lewis about Kentucky's season opener Sept. 5. "Then we'll just go game by game and prepare the same way for every team.

"It's not one team on our schedule who is lightweight, however you want to call it. Everyone is going to play and give us their all. So we have to be able to match that and give everything we have."

Senior safety A.J. Stamps admitted Kentucky looked ahead last season. The Wildcats started 5-1, but dropped their last six to fall one win short of becoming bowl eligible. So the Wildcats seem to be making a conscious effort to stay focused on the early part of the schedule even though the Auburn game is a historic one for Kentucky.

"It's a big deal," Stamps said. "When it gets here, we're going to take advantage of it, but right now, we're just focused on Louisiana Lafayette."

Auburn will be the last of four-game home stretch for Kentucky, but both schools play weaker competition at home Oct. 3 before facing each other. The Wildcats play FCS school Eastern Kentucky while the Tigers face San Jose State on homecoming.

It will be a lot of fun," Stoops said. "Looking forward to it. Hopefully, we'll have a great game."